Skip: Klaus doesn't share proprietary data and therefore
George/Walter et al won't evaluate or comment on his LSE system??
Well, they could buy a system or two and put it/them on their lab mule.
They could put one on an Ada plane and record the timing readouts as they do
some airborne testing. Or they could just be quiet rather than suggest
variable timing is a boogie man the will hole your piston mucho pronto (I guess
that was Brent, the other EI-phobe). I am quite sure that when/if their
PRISM thingie hits the market they will be a bit close hold regards its design
fundamentals. Will Klaus be given a pass if he comments negatively on
their system or faults their willingness to share design data?
Look I have a problem with engineering snobs, especially engineering snobs
with no engineering degrees. George/Walter et al are doing a superb job of
marketing and have educated a significant part of the GA community, a community
that hungers for ideas and answers. But they are recycling past truths,
truths developed in the Wright labs of the 40s and 50s. It is a good
service and they are to be commended, but don't grant them God status--you could
learn the same principals of piston engine operation by reading TWA handbooks
for the Connie or even Piper handbooks for the Malibu.
And Brent: Yep Continental and Lycoming make great leaf blowers--you
gotta be kidding me. Lightning: splice your 1200 Bendix mag in the
cable from your lightning rod to the ground and see what happens to the points
and plastic after the next thunderstorm system moves through. But more
importantly, do the same with your LIVP wing--I was on the B-2s design team and
I assure you their wing required much more than carbon fiber like ours to
enable lightning survival (not just protection). regards D-Subs--each to
his own. I'm with Bob N on this as well as fastons. It is hard to
imagine how you could fail a faston, but I will take your word for it. And
the "gear" is much more than an impulse coupling issue thank you. Gears
can and do fail--pieces of gears are metal that eat bearings. I have
four fewer internal gears on my engine. Last three: reading
timing settings in flight is a good thing--better than hoping the mags didn't
adjust themselves because the A&P didn't torque properly.
And varying a few degrees here and there to see what is really happening
and how it effects what has not been a problem--but you know maybe I should not
lean during cruise because I may forget to enrich when I descend--but you
know maybe I should not decrease prop rpm during cruise because if I forget to
push the knob fwd when I go around... Maybe apes should not fly
airplanes. Lastly alts generate electrons, batteries store them. All
three provide power--half again the number of sources of ignition, three times
the number of engines. If the battery power lasts longer than the
fuel's supply it is a better source of energy than the alt. And the
last lastly:
Despite the rhetorical similarities, engines are not a
religion. They are mechanical dynamic systems that must respond to reason.
Clear, unbiased analytical thinking will bring you to the truth and sometimes
that truth runs contrary to faith. Experimenting is advocated and encouraged
but, for the love of low insurance premiums, use your brain.
There I was working to get an engineering degree, flying fighters, fighting
combat, completing the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, teaching at the
school, commanding a few test forces for today's fighters, leading the R&D
for the B-2 Division, etc and all the time I was drinking cool aid forgetting to
use my brain. I guess my 40 plus years as a pilot of hundreds of military
and civilian airplanes has been a bit like a religion. Well, Brent I will
certainly be careful because your insurance premiums are a major concern.
Is it OK to say arrogant ass on this list?
thats it for me; back to sanding
paul